Joe Montana Says Kaepernick Is Unemployed Because of His Playing Style

While some claim Colin Kaepernick’s acts of protest during every single game last year has led to his current unemployment, former San Francisco 49ers legend Joe Montana believes his playing style is the sole reason he is jobless.

“That style of quarterback, everybody thought was going to take over the NFL,” Montana told For The Win’s Charles Curtis on Tuesday, referring to Kaepernick’s tendency to play outside the pocket. “You look at guys who had success in college, that only had success one year. Usually those guys, the next year, it’s very difficult on them.”

In 2012 and 2013, Kaepernick seemed as if he was on the cusp of a hall of fame type career, using his legs as his primary weapon. But he followed that up by struggling the next three seasons.

“The league has figured out how to defend it,” said Montana. “If I’m playing defense, I want the quarterback to run so I can hit him. In the pocket, you can’t really hit him. So you look at Tim Tebow – he’s a great guy, does a lot of great things. But when you complete 40-something percent of your passes, even in the low 50s, you’re not going to make it.”

Montana admitted that he admires Kaepernick for his National Anthem protest, but he understands those types of demonstrations can affect future potential job offers.

“I’m sure there are some distraction issues,” Montana said. “When we were playing with Bill Walsh, if you were a distraction, he didn’t care how good you were, if you didn’t mix in with the team, you weren’t there very long.”